


PB and What?

by magical_octopus333



Category: Milo Murphy's Law
Genre: Fluff, It Gets Sweet, M/M, Mild Angst, i think fluff?, key word mild., let me know in the comments?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-03-30 23:56:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19038166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magical_octopus333/pseuds/magical_octopus333
Summary: What happens when Cavendish goes on a secret trip? Well, a bit of PB and chaos, it seems!





	PB and What?

**Author's Note:**

> Its 2am! So! this might be a mess. But! I want! to post! I will eventually finish another fic in progress. But for now? Tada!

    Cavendish smiled down at his partner, one hand reaching up to smooth back where his curls had gotten smushed down. Dakota had fallen asleep while Cavendish was working on some paperwork, laying on the couch with a pillow snuggled in his arms. If he wasn’t drooling, Cavendish might have ventured to say he looked quite… cute like that. Lovable. But he couldn’t say that about his drooling partner, or really be doing something so intimate as caress his cheek. He snatched his hand back quickly, as if Dakota’s cheek burned him

    Of course, it wasn’t really the drooling that kept Cavendish from being more with Dakota Not only was Dakota clearly not interested in him like that, but he also legally couldn’t. It was protocol. The rules forbid relationships between BOTT employees. And as long as they worked at BOTT, the rules were supposed to be strictly followed.

    Supposed to be. Which led him to his self-assigned mission tonight. He looked at Dakota and made sure he was truly asleep before standing up, grabbing the rather large basket that was on the ground beside him as he did so. He took care to quietly tiptoe his way towards the exit, heart racing ever so slightly until he was over the threshold and into the night air. 

    “It shouldn’t take long”, he said aloud to himself, locking the door quietly. He turned around and started walking away from their office. There were barely any stars hung in the sky, but they could just slightly be seen through the glare of the street lamps.

    “Dakota won’t even notice me gone. After all”, he chuckled to himself, closing himself into their time vehicle. 

    “I’ll only be gone a minute…”

~~~

    The Island of Dakotas was fairly calm. Sure, sometimes Cannibal Dakota got out and would harass some of the others, but even that wasn’t much of a fuss really. Nothing really big or overly exciting happened. They made shoes and orange soda during the day, and in the evening they’d watch the CCTV footage of Mainland Dakota and Cavendish. They’d hoot and holler, yelling to the screen as if those two could hear them through time and space, and just have fun as they watched the adventures that lucky Dakota had with Cavendish. When a new Dakota arrived, he was given a tour of the island by Leader Dakota and allowed to either pick a nickname or wait for one to be given- it wasn’t really a big event though, even with the occasional prank done to the newbie. 

    The last really big event the island had was when Mainland Dakota and Cavendish, as well as Professor Time and some other man, appeared on the island and they had to fight off these Pistachio monsters with orange soda. Even then, once the battle was over, the Dakotas flew back to the island and returned to routine. So, nothing really happens.

    Leader Dakota was reviewing CCTV footage with the Tech Dakotas when a commotion outside began to build. Leader Dakota sighs- either a disfigured Dakota or one with food must have come to shore, he assumed to himself. Turning to the Tech Dakotas he began telling them to go back to editing but one of the Techies- as they call themselves- gasped, an ink-stained hand raised to his face. The others crowded around him, making room however for their leader. 

    “What’s wrong, Inky Dakota?” Leader Dakota looked at Inky Dakota before turning to the screen, aimed on the shore of the island where a figure stood. Inky kept his wide eyes on the screen as he began to explain. 

    “Well, you remember when Cavendish came to the island-” 

    “And Professor Time!” a Dakota squeaked from the right of Inky Dakota. “Oh, and Mainland Dakota, Dr Zone, and Milo-” 

    “Thanks, Mouser,” Inky interrupted, smiling apologetically at his fellow Techie Dakota.

“But back to what I was saying… when all that happened, we didn’t know Cavendish was on the island until he and Mainland were at the gates!” 

Leader pinched the bridge of his nose, remembering the occasion with mixed feelings- he didn't get to be with Cavendish much then, and the battle between the Dakotas and Pistachions left many minor casualties... mainly annoying splinters and bruises. But he did see Cavendish at least. 

    “... Inky, is there a-” 

    “yes, it all connects, Leader…” Inky replied, raising his hands up in a placating way.  Leader crossed his arms at Inky, gesturing him to continue. Inky sighed, grabbing his red rag to try and wipe off the ink that had spilled on his hands earlier before quickly typing on his keyboard.

    “We, the Tech Dakotas, decided a security system on the island would be a good idea. And guess…” He nodded to the screen as it zoomed in on the lone figure.

    “Who just appeared on our shore!”

    “... Sound System Dakota, send a call to gather the Dakotas to the theater, quick.”

~~~

    Cavendish was trying to think of how he had gotten to the Other Dakotas’ hideout before as he stared at a leaf, when a Dakota in a torn orange shirt wandered up to him, smiling albeit clearly concerned.

    “Cav, what are you doing here?”, asked a Dakota bearing an orange, torn shirt, reaching one hand out to his old friend, who easily took the outstretched hand. 

Cavendish smiled, and Leader Dakota felt his heart speed up in his chest, worrying if the heat he felt in his face was clear for all to see or not.

    “Are… Are you quite alright, Dakota?”, Cavendish asked, his hand having grasped Leader’s, but his eyes were trained on the other’s face. “You look quite red-”

Leader Dakota chuckled, his free hand reaching to scratch at the back of his neck nervously. To any astute viewer, one could tell how Leader Dakota was feeling based on his body language alone. Lucky for him, Cavendish was not.

    “Heh, must be the sun- it's turned on high today, mh?”

    “It  _ is _ quite bright out!” Cavendish nodded emphatically, glancing around him as Leader Dakota sighed quietly. The moment Cavendish’s attention was turned to him, however, he perked back up. “May we go to the other Dakotas now, preferably out of the sun?”

    “Can I ask you a question first?”

    “Of course, Dakota”

    “Why are you here?”, Leader asked, eyebrow quirked up. Cavendish seemed to shrink against himself, looking at his shoes, sand-coated as they were, before replying.

    “... Do you not wish to see me?” 

    He looked anywhere but at the Dakota before him. It would make sense if he didn't, Cavendish thought to himself. He probably saw Cavendish as a walking corpse, having watched a form of Cavendish parish before him. His mind wandered as he waited, shame growing with every silent second that passed. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for Leader Dakota to reply tactfully.

    “Are you kidding me?” He said, rather loudly, his head tilting almost comically with the outburst. “Cavendish, I can easily speak for the whole of us all on the Island of Dakota- we are overjoyed to have you here with us.”

    Cavendish seemed to relax at that, his previously pressed tight lips slipped into a small smile, bashful and almost completely hidden from view. Almost.

    “It's just last time, it was about the end of the world that you came ‘ere. And you don’t have Mainland Dakota with you-”

    “Mainland Dakota?”, Cavendish asked, hands finding their way to his hips. Leader Dakota snickered at this- it had been a long while since he’s been able to talk with his dramatic partner. If he wasn’t so focused, he would probably be wistful, or sad. But he smiled instead.

    “Every Dakota on the island has got a nickname- for example, I am Leader Dakota. If you stay long enough, I’m sure many Dakotas here would love to tell the stories behind their names, Cav.”

    “Good to know, my friend.”

    “... So, what was it that brought you to our shores?”

 

~~~

 

    The others Dakota chatted among themselves, curiosity building. A rumor had been running around theme- and this time, it wasn’t Gossip Dakota doing it. Apparently, some Dakota swore up and down that they saw  _ Him _ , on their shores. Of course, not many Dakotas gave any truth to Leafy Dakota, but Seashell Dakota had vouched for him earnestly. Of course, another set of Dakotas were trying to say that there was a Dakota in Cavendish’s clothes impersonating his late partner, but that claim was mostly ignored. Not because it seemed unlikely- no, the island plays host to many rather odd Dakotas- but because it sounded too cruel to think of. 

    The chattering wound down as the Dakotas turned their heads to the stage, where Leader Dakota was walking towards center stage. The dark scarlett curtain hanging down made him stand out even more. As he moved, he could hear snippets of what the others were saying.

    “Wonder what's this about-” “Do you think that rumor is true-” “Why is his hair slicked back-” “Do you think something happened to the CCTV footage?”

    Once he reached the center of the stage, he looked around almost curiously as the other Dakotas stared back, meeting his look, or kept their eyes trained down timidly. He soaked in the attention of over a hundred eyes trained on him for a moment longer before focusing.

    “Hello, Dakotas!”, he called out with a smile. A sense of calm ran through them- a start like that meant there was nothing to fear yet.

    “I’m sure the rumor mill has been running rampant today about a certain guest upon our shores…” He looked about at the Dakotas, who were each either glancing confusedly at one another or  leaning forward curiously. Nervous and excited chatter blended among them, quickly silenced with Leader Dakota clearing his throat. He smiled.

    “I am here before you to silence those pesky rumors”, he spoke turning to duck behind the curtain, leaving one hundred and six Dakotas to stare at one another or where Leader had stood in utter befuddlement. 

    Leader Dakota returned, his right hand still hidden behind his back and held in the scarlet curtains behind him. 

    “Actions are better than words,” Leader asked with a smirk, before hollering out “ain’t they Dakotas?”

    His question was answered by a mix of ‘Yeahs!” and “..yes?”-es. However, the Dakotas went to chaos when Leader Dakota pulled his hidden arm forward, pulling a smiling Cavendish out from behind the curtain. They left their seats, clamoring forward to try and climb onto the stage- many achieving so and running up to Cavendish before stopping, uncertain and overjoyed. 

    “E-excuse me?” Cavendish warbled out, clearly in shock of the number of enthusiastic Dakotas clamoring towards him. Despite having quietly said this, a hush ran through the Dakotas, looking up at him curiously. 

    “Would anyone like a Peanut butter and jelly sandwich… well, mini sandwich, I didn’t realize how many Dakotas there were-”

    A wave of excitement ran through them around him as he raised the basket he’d brought with him. Hollers could be heard among them, almost indistinguishable from one another. Cavendish caught a few certain statements among them

    “Woo!” was quite common among the Dakotas, and were the majority of the yelling.  

    “Thank you!” popped out every so often, leading to a small chorus, to a pause and so on. 

    “Cav!” or Cavendish!” was less heard, but certainly was throughout. 

    With all these loud declarations, it would surprise you that among these statements and more, the one that truly caught his attention was the lone Dakota further back who had called out,  “Love you Cavendish!”

    If Cavendish hadn’t had heard the statement himself and turned to look for the source, he would have been confused by the silence that now simmered over the Dakotas. If you wanted to find which Dakota spoke that line, the other Dakotas were of no help, as they all seemed to find the sand beneath them very interesting all of a sudden, or were inexplicably drawn to look at the curtain that hung and- has that palm tree  _ always _ been there?

    The silence hardly stretched over a minute when the Dakotas seemed to gain their wits around them and began to make such a clamor, each saying something different with the focus still aimed at Cavendish. Cavendish, however, paid them no mind. His eyes were trained on the Dakota far back, whose face had turned bright red and stuck in that shocked expression. 

    Cavendish stepped off the stage, and many a Dakota jumped a step back before continuing their attempts to distract him. Some reached out to him, but most didn’t dare. 

    He walked towards the shocked Dakota, the others retreating, like the ocean does often to the shore, before moving back to where they stood, watching Cavendish. As he walked through them, the Dakotas slowly went quiet.

     It was almost deafeningly quiet when Cavendish stood in front of the shocked Dakota, save for the sound of the distant ocean, and the wind that, seemingly uncaring, continued to shake the leaves around them. 

    They all waited with bated breath. A moment which felt unending as they all stood still. Watching. Waiting. Wondering what he’d do, that enigma that was Cavendish.

    “...what did you say?” Cavendish whispered, the brim of his hat casting most of his face into shadow. The collective of Dakotas all seemed to flinch at his tone, sharp and yet… not _angry_.

    The Dakota who had said the words that silenced them all stood mostly still, fiddling with his torn, red shirt and stared into the dirt for a moment. It took a moment, but he looked Cavendish in the eye, grasping his shirt with determination clear in his eyes. 

    “I love you, Cavendish!”, he yelled, the tears springing to his eyes too easily. The other Dakota stared, at him and at each other, in silent shock. His courage, however, didn’t stop him there.

    “You died before I could tell you last time, Cavendish, and I couldn't save you, and then I missed my chance with the Pistachio monsters- but I was not going to give it up! I, I can’t just keep quiet no more, Cavendish!... and you don’t have to- you don’t… you don’t”

    All the air seemed to leave him as he began to shake, tears streaming down his face. His hands had moved from his shirt to his hair, where Cavendish was surprised to find grey curls starting to spring up in his mess of hair. 

    His anger, his passion, his strength all dissipated like that, and he fell forward on to his knees, hitting the hot sand against his bare knees. His hands fell limp from his hair, his chest heaving as he breathed shallowly.  He bowed his head, as if he knelled before his executioner, instead of his old friend. 

    It took a moment to realize there was a hand in his curls. Another moment to look up to see Cavendish, staring down at him. 

    The Dakota’s voice was broken, even more rough from crying, as he rasped out a quiet “Cav?"

 

Red Dakota thought he was going to lose Cavendish forever with that claim. He was dizzy and starry-eyed, looking up into that smiling face, tears filling Cavendish's eyes. He melted into Cavendish's touch, those fingers working through his curls gently, with care clear in each movement. 

    "My dear Dakota..." Cavendish whispered as he lowered a knee into the sand, his hand slipping from the curls to wipe away a tear that had slipped out. He smiled, a wobbly smile that made Red Dakota melt. 

    "That must have took quite the courage..." He continued, looking down to the sand

    "More courage than I've had to tell you..."

Gasps ran through the other Dakotas as they processed Cavendish's quiet words. Red Dakota realized what was said and smiled. The grin nearly split his face in two, and he launched himself at Cavendish, catching him off guard. They fell back against the sand, laughing easily as fools often do when they have found a treasure beyond measure. 

    The other Dakotas started to sit in the sand as well, smiling wonder-struck at Cavendish, almost without blinking. Many must have thought, 'If I blink, I might wake up", so they didn't blink if they could help it. 

    Eventually, they all sat in the sand and passed the sandwiches around and chatted, and everything was loud. But in that moment, the only noise, was the happy laughter of the pair, lying in the sand. 

 

~~~

 

    Dakota awoke to find Cavendish asleep at his desk in the morning, as well as a blanket wrapped around himself. He didn't remember grabbing a blanket- he hadn't even planned on sleeping that long. However, he couldn't find it in himself to be upset. He carefully stood up, and walked to were Cavendish was folded over himself on the desk. He smiled gently, pulling the blanket off his shoulders before laying it over his partner. 

    He didn't realize he had touched him until he saw his hand smoothing down that one ridiculous cowlick that his hat usually covered. Yet, he didn't stop since Cavendish didn't move a muscle when he had touched his head. 

    He stared a few moments more, watching his body move with his breathing, before moving back to the couch to relax more. 

It was mumbled, the way most words are said when one is asleep, but clear as the day that was barely hidden by their blinds. It was quiet, but so was the room they both were in. He turned to look at his partner, shock clear on his face as he looked upon his sleeping partner.

    Dakota sighed, going back to lay on the couch. He was imagining things, still in a dream of some sort. Of course, that had to be the reason, right? I mean, why else would he have heard his friend, from the depths of sleep, slip out such a set of words as that. 

    "...Love you, Vinnie..."

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you give a Dakota a PBJ sandwich, he might just spill his heart out, it seems.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
